Anger Management is Addressed During Addiction Treatment

Beaches Recovery provides a comprehensive approach to overcoming chemical dependency, alcoholism and co-occurring disorders. One issue that many clients need help with is understanding their emotions and learning to express anger appropriately. To that end, Beaches Recovery offers anger management groups.

Anger Management in Addiction Treatment

Clients seeking recovery from addiction to alcohol or drugs often have problems dealing with anger and appropriately expressing themselves. Anger is often tied to relapse because vulnerable patients unable to communicate their needs often find turning back to their substance is an easier way to mask or manage their feelings. Of course, relapsing instead of dealing with anger is a very negative outcome. To prevent such problems as part of recovery, clients must discover the emotions behind their anger and learn anger management skills.

Understanding anger and anger management can be a critical aspect of addiction treatment because anger is often what led to substance abuse in the first place. Many clients are dealing with trauma, such as sexual abuse, violent crime or the death of someone they love. Instead of addressing their own feelings and appropriately managing their emotions, they turned to the substance of their addiction. Understanding that anger is usually a secondary emotion, in other words, anger is masking a deeper more vulnerable feeling such as fear, is important for the client to learn in order to reduce their anger. If a client’s anger isn’t treated properly, the destructive cycle of drug and alcohol abuse will likely continue.

Likewise, addiction masks the anger and drives clients to behave inappropriately. They may lash out at others even though the anger is really at themselves. Because they haven’t dealt with their feelings or been taught anger management in the past, they may engage in the following unhealthy behaviors:

Becoming abusive and aggressive when angry, including physical harm to others

Screaming violent threats at others

Using emotional blackmail to punish people in their lives, such as by ignoring others

Acting vengefully or plotting revenge when they feel they have been wronged

Numbing themselves to the issue that is bothersome

How Anger Management Helps Patients in Recovery

Clients in recovery who are taught how to appropriately deal with their emotions and express themselves constructively stand a better chance of remaining sober for the long term. Anger management can improve relationships and make life much easier.

The Goals of Anger Management and Understanding Emotions include:

Learning to manage anger effectively

Understanding emotions that are underneath the anger

Stopping violence or threat of violence

Developing self-control over thoughts and actions

Learning how to reach out for support from others

Learning to Manage Anger at Beaches Recovery in Jacksonville, Florida

As part of rehabilitative treatment for drug and alcohol addiction at Beaches Recovery in Jacksonville, Florida, clients are taught how to recognize their own anger and manage it effectively for productive, healthy recovery. By learning tactics and gaining skills in anger reduction and effective communication, clients are better prepared to deal with real-life scenarios that will be presented in everyday living.

Joint Commission-accredited inpatient, intensive outpatient, outpatient and sober living programs of Beaches Recovery provide a multitude of evidence-based therapies and treatments for co-occurring disorders provided to clients as part of individualized treatment plans. These unique plans ensure holistic wellness of clients overcoming addiction to alcohol and drugs through consideration of individual interests, needs and culture.

If you or someone you love are ready for recovery from drug or alcohol addiction, Beaches Recovery may offer the program diversity and treatment modalities best suited to your individual needs. Call Beaches Recovery today at 866-274-9281 to learn more about available programs for addiction recovery in Jacksonville, Florida.